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Router Table Base

6K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  Ocelot 
#1 ·
Lumber and Planning

When I first setup the current shop, I purchased an inexpensive router table. I went with the Rockler brand as I liked their lift. Over time I did not care for the table top or fence. They worked, but the T track slot caught on work (and I never used it…to this day I still know of no router table operation that requires or uses a miter slot…though I can imagine using it for locking in a feather board). But I digress.

I replaced the top recently with some birch ply and made a fence out of birch ply and cherry that is stout and works. I had previously modified the base but was still not happy.

New Top:

Table Wood Rectangle Desk Tool


You can see the modified base with a drawer and cabinet doors to the dust collection area.

A friend recently gifted me 30 maple 4"x4" 32" long. They were stored in a shed he was taking down for over 40 years (actual date unknown). The saw marks are from a large circular saw and I know no mill in this area has used that type of saw in decades (many).

I cleaned up 20 of them and a few are furniture grade still, but most have either insect damage or punk in spots. So I can use them for furniture…but I can make something (a few things) for the shop.

Wood Wooden block Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


The plan is to use the big timber with some massive mortise and tenon joints to make a stout frame, then add two drawers and a top compartment for dust collection. Since the sides are made from the thick lumber, I will inset the panel and use the outer box area for some fold out bit storage options (to be designed yet).

Rectangle Parallel Font Gas Automotive exterior
 

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#2 ·
Lumber and Planning

When I first setup the current shop, I purchased an inexpensive router table. I went with the Rockler brand as I liked their lift. Over time I did not care for the table top or fence. They worked, but the T track slot caught on work (and I never used it…to this day I still know of no router table operation that requires or uses a miter slot…though I can imagine using it for locking in a feather board). But I digress.

I replaced the top recently with some birch ply and made a fence out of birch ply and cherry that is stout and works. I had previously modified the base but was still not happy.

New Top:



You can see the modified base with a drawer and cabinet doors to the dust collection area.

A friend recently gifted me 30 maple 4"x4" 32" long. They were stored in a shed he was taking down for over 40 years (actual date unknown). The saw marks are from a large circular saw and I know no mill in this area has used that type of saw in decades (many).

I cleaned up 20 of them and a few are furniture grade still, but most have either insect damage or punk in spots. So I can use them for furniture…but I can make something (a few things) for the shop.



The plan is to use the big timber with some massive mortise and tenon joints to make a stout frame, then add two drawers and a top compartment for dust collection. Since the sides are made from the thick lumber, I will inset the panel and use the outer box area for some fold out bit storage options (to be designed yet).

Good lookin wood. I want to see the end product on this one. Best wishes.
 

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#3 ·
Lumber and Planning

When I first setup the current shop, I purchased an inexpensive router table. I went with the Rockler brand as I liked their lift. Over time I did not care for the table top or fence. They worked, but the T track slot caught on work (and I never used it…to this day I still know of no router table operation that requires or uses a miter slot…though I can imagine using it for locking in a feather board). But I digress.

I replaced the top recently with some birch ply and made a fence out of birch ply and cherry that is stout and works. I had previously modified the base but was still not happy.

New Top:

Table Wood Rectangle Desk Tool


You can see the modified base with a drawer and cabinet doors to the dust collection area.

A friend recently gifted me 30 maple 4"x4" 32" long. They were stored in a shed he was taking down for over 40 years (actual date unknown). The saw marks are from a large circular saw and I know no mill in this area has used that type of saw in decades (many).

I cleaned up 20 of them and a few are furniture grade still, but most have either insect damage or punk in spots. So I can use them for furniture…but I can make something (a few things) for the shop.

Wood Wooden block Hardwood Wood stain Plywood


The plan is to use the big timber with some massive mortise and tenon joints to make a stout frame, then add two drawers and a top compartment for dust collection. Since the sides are made from the thick lumber, I will inset the panel and use the outer box area for some fold out bit storage options (to be designed yet).

Rectangle Parallel Font Gas Automotive exterior
FOLLOWING ALONG :<)))))
 

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#4 ·
Cutting the big M/T joints

I cut everything to length, sized for 18" drawer slides (they are okay in my opinion for kitchens, baths and shop furniture!).

I then started cutting the big mortise and tenon joints for the fat maple sticks.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Composite material


Wood Hardwood Engineering Wood stain Composite material


I am actually making two of these so I have two carcasses to make. One is a table for the pantorouter. All in all I got the 32 mortises cut in the legs and have the tenons cut on over half of the rails. I had to stop as I need to empty the dust collector.

Next will be finishing the few tenons that are left, routing a 1/4" slot for the ply sides and back to slip into and gluing up the carcass. From there is it feet and drawers.

I have been rethinking the side bit storage concept and the amount of dust that may attract…so looking at options.
 

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#5 ·
Cutting the big M/T joints

I cut everything to length, sized for 18" drawer slides (they are okay in my opinion for kitchens, baths and shop furniture!).

I then started cutting the big mortise and tenon joints for the fat maple sticks.

Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Wood Hardwood Wood stain Flooring Composite material


Wood Hardwood Engineering Wood stain Composite material


I am actually making two of these so I have two carcasses to make. One is a table for the pantorouter. All in all I got the 32 mortises cut in the legs and have the tenons cut on over half of the rails. I had to stop as I need to empty the dust collector.

Next will be finishing the few tenons that are left, routing a 1/4" slot for the ply sides and back to slip into and gluing up the carcass. From there is it feet and drawers.

I have been rethinking the side bit storage concept and the amount of dust that may attract…so looking at options.
Uploaded the wrong image.

Wood Wood stain Rectangle Hardwood Flooring
 

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#9 ·
On to glue-up

So I cut a small clearance miter on the tenons (so they have room to intersect in the mortise) and put a grove in the parts to hold a 1/4" plywood panel:

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Creative arts


I cut some maple ply to fit and did a dry fit:

Wood Pet supply Rectangle Composite material Wood stain


Once I was satisfied, I used west systems epoxy and started the glue up:

Wood Flooring Floor Composite material Hardwood


Next up is boring holes for leveling feet, making the dust collection block off assembly (but the top has to be mounted first as you won't be able to get to it otherwise) and on to drawers.

Yes…as some comments have suggested, these are massive! What can I say? I have the timber, I have no other use for it as it is bug ridden and making it this way is very fast. I also suspect that the unit will be stable and a pleasure to work on.

As I mentioned before, I am making two. One for my router top and one as a base for my Pantorouter.
 

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#10 ·
On to glue-up

So I cut a small clearance miter on the tenons (so they have room to intersect in the mortise) and put a grove in the parts to hold a 1/4" plywood panel:

Wood Table Wood stain Hardwood Creative arts


I cut some maple ply to fit and did a dry fit:

Wood Pet supply Rectangle Composite material Wood stain


Once I was satisfied, I used west systems epoxy and started the glue up:

Wood Flooring Floor Composite material Hardwood


Next up is boring holes for leveling feet, making the dust collection block off assembly (but the top has to be mounted first as you won't be able to get to it otherwise) and on to drawers.

Yes…as some comments have suggested, these are massive! What can I say? I have the timber, I have no other use for it as it is bug ridden and making it this way is very fast. I also suspect that the unit will be stable and a pleasure to work on.

As I mentioned before, I am making two. One for my router top and one as a base for my Pantorouter.
yeah thats definitely gonna be soild.but it will last your lifetime.
 

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#11 ·
One Carcass Ready for Drawers...the other one lagging

So I glued up the first carcass. I installed industrial wheels as well as drawer slides and made a top out of my favorite wood…Hickory. This is the base for the PantaRouter.

Table Furniture Cabinetry Desk Wood


The second carcass is lagging behind as I want to drill the holes in the legs for the leveling feet (while they are just sticks and can be worked), but I lack the right bit and am waiting for it to arrive. They had it at the local big box, but it had a 5/8th shank. I can't use that in either colet!! Dewalt, if you are listening…stick to 1/4 or 1/2. I have to use it in a router as that is my only way of drilling precise horizontal holes.

Anyway, I spent the time fine tuning the design of the carcass for the regular router table and decided on three drawers (small) in the space between the router and the sides. I have to box in that area for dust collection, so I might as well create drawer structure there.

To hold the bits, I designed a drawer bottom that will hold 1/4 and 1/2 bits:

Rectangle Font Automotive lighting Circle Metal


You 3d print two of these and join them together and use them for your drawer bottom. After several tests, I got the size right:

Circuit component Passive circuit component Gas Electronic component Engineering


I plan on having two drawers with this as the bottom, one tall and one regular. The third drawer will be for easy access to measuring and setup tools.
 

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#12 ·
One Carcass Ready for Drawers...the other one lagging

So I glued up the first carcass. I installed industrial wheels as well as drawer slides and made a top out of my favorite wood…Hickory. This is the base for the PantaRouter.

Table Furniture Cabinetry Desk Wood


The second carcass is lagging behind as I want to drill the holes in the legs for the leveling feet (while they are just sticks and can be worked), but I lack the right bit and am waiting for it to arrive. They had it at the local big box, but it had a 5/8th shank. I can't use that in either colet!! Dewalt, if you are listening…stick to 1/4 or 1/2. I have to use it in a router as that is my only way of drilling precise horizontal holes.

Anyway, I spent the time fine tuning the design of the carcass for the regular router table and decided on three drawers (small) in the space between the router and the sides. I have to box in that area for dust collection, so I might as well create drawer structure there.

To hold the bits, I designed a drawer bottom that will hold 1/4 and 1/2 bits:

Rectangle Font Automotive lighting Circle Metal


You 3d print two of these and join them together and use them for your drawer bottom. After several tests, I got the size right:

Circuit component Passive circuit component Gas Electronic component Engineering


I plan on having two drawers with this as the bottom, one tall and one regular. The third drawer will be for easy access to measuring and setup tools.
No 3D printer in my shop so I just drill holes in wood, or buy the expensive foam inserts from Rockler.

I'm in the same boat, waiting for a 2-3/4" forstner bit so I can drill the offset hole for the leg vise bushing. MLCS says it will be here in 3-5 days with USPS Priority shipping. Here's hoping so.

Looking at that fine mobile cabinet base, I'm curious if you are using a router lift mounted below the top?
 

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#14 ·
Second Carcass Done, Drawers in

The bit I needed for the leveling feet for the traditional Router Table came. I was able to get the 1/2 threaded insert in and them glue up the second carcass and get it caught up the first. I am using west systems epoxy for the large carcass joints.

Here is where we are today:

Table Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood


To get there I had to make the small drawer assemblies:

Wood Urban design Composite material Automotive design Gas


These have the 3D printed bottoms (two of them anyway) that hold bits.

The small drawer sub-assemblies were epoxied and screwed to the carcass after the top was on (you could not put the top on with them in-place!). They made the top for the first large drawer, but more importantly the enclosure for the dust collection chamber. They had to be sized perfectly for the router and lift. I have myself some room to spare.

Wood Fixture Gas Door Hardwood


They need a small face frame and you can see that I lift them back 1/2" so that I can make a maple face frame for the top drawer structure.

The rear of the dust collection area got two holes, one for the 4" line from the dust system and another for a 2.5" line to go up to the fence:

Automotive tire Gas Auto part Composite material Metal


I also made five large drawers out of baltic birch ply with finger joints. Not much to show there other than the frown on my face for working for two days with plywood.

I put the existing top on the base before putting the drawer assembly in. You can see the top here:

I ran electric for the router with a long power cord through the back and out the front with the router power cable joining it.

Next: Make face frame for top drawer unit. Made drawer faces (hickory for PantaRouter base and walnut for traditional Router Table), install mag electric switched in each unit.

Nice to be passed the drawer stage as shop grade drawers in ply are a pain. Drawer slides are a pain. Either way, I can put away the cabentry tools and get out the tools I normally use for furniture related projects as it is time to get back to working with real wood (sorry, I just hate working with ply).

Cabinetry Table Wood Desk Drawer
 

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#15 ·
Second Carcass Done, Drawers in

The bit I needed for the leveling feet for the traditional Router Table came. I was able to get the 1/2 threaded insert in and them glue up the second carcass and get it caught up the first. I am using west systems epoxy for the large carcass joints.

Here is where we are today:

Table Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood


To get there I had to make the small drawer assemblies:

Wood Urban design Composite material Automotive design Gas


These have the 3D printed bottoms (two of them anyway) that hold bits.

The small drawer sub-assemblies were epoxied and screwed to the carcass after the top was on (you could not put the top on with them in-place!). They made the top for the first large drawer, but more importantly the enclosure for the dust collection chamber. They had to be sized perfectly for the router and lift. I have myself some room to spare.

Wood Fixture Gas Door Hardwood


They need a small face frame and you can see that I lift them back 1/2" so that I can make a maple face frame for the top drawer structure.

The rear of the dust collection area got two holes, one for the 4" line from the dust system and another for a 2.5" line to go up to the fence:

Automotive tire Gas Auto part Composite material Metal


I also made five large drawers out of baltic birch ply with finger joints. Not much to show there other than the frown on my face for working for two days with plywood.

I put the existing top on the base before putting the drawer assembly in. You can see the top here:

I ran electric for the router with a long power cord through the back and out the front with the router power cable joining it.

Next: Make face frame for top drawer unit. Made drawer faces (hickory for PantaRouter base and walnut for traditional Router Table), install mag electric switched in each unit.

Nice to be passed the drawer stage as shop grade drawers in ply are a pain. Drawer slides are a pain. Either way, I can put away the cabentry tools and get out the tools I normally use for furniture related projects as it is time to get back to working with real wood (sorry, I just hate working with ply).

Cabinetry Table Wood Desk Drawer
Yes you can see "crap" in the drawers. Though not done, I have no shame in putting them to work and they are replacing other units, so the bits were piled up in various places (on top of my jointer, planer, assembly table etc). Sadly, as soon as a drawer was made, it git used.
 

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#17 ·
Ready for finish

The first table is ready for finish. I made drawer fronts and sorted the electric. The second table still needs drawer fronts, but that will involve getting to the bottom of my drying stack. Either way I am waiting on more osmo from the brown truck.

Table Plumbing fixture Tap Rectangle Wood


Almost there with this one. It is a massive improvement from my prior table and I feel better about it being part of my shop. I do need to put a bevel on the faces and do some sanding, but I don't think I will guild the lily much. It is just what I wanted, but you can't buy: Massive table, amazing fence that is easy to adjust and stays put, movable fence faces for dust management, lots of storage, dust collection built in and easy access to bits.

I have some wiring to do and and a few other shop related projects then I can get back to work!
 

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#18 ·
Both ready for finish

I got to the hickory in my indoor stack (on the bottom!) and made some drawer faces for the PantaRouter table. I also wired in the remote switch. Hardware was randomly gotten based on what was in the box and what was dirt cheap.

Next and final step is some finish. I plan on just two light coats of Osmo and I doubt I will so much sanding, but I will take the top and drawer faces off to get the same finish on each side so they don't bow.

The dust collection on the router table is stunning. For the first time in my life I can work at the router table with nothing on the table or me for that matter.

Furniture Table Cabinetry Desk Wood
 

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#19 ·
Both ready for finish

I got to the hickory in my indoor stack (on the bottom!) and made some drawer faces for the PantaRouter table. I also wired in the remote switch. Hardware was randomly gotten based on what was in the box and what was dirt cheap.

Next and final step is some finish. I plan on just two light coats of Osmo and I doubt I will so much sanding, but I will take the top and drawer faces off to get the same finish on each side so they don't bow.

The dust collection on the router table is stunning. For the first time in my life I can work at the router table with nothing on the table or me for that matter.

Furniture Table Cabinetry Desk Wood
Looks great. And having good dust collection is a definite added bonus.
 

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